Finding you again
by spiritwarrior27
Summary: SEQUEL TO THERE'S A GIRL HE KNOWS. When the trio get kidnapped by the Jester, Dakota will do whatever it takes to get them and a certain someone back.
1. Chapter 1:All the lonely people

**Hey guys! First sequel! Before we go into the story, I want to announce something. August marks my one year anniversary on Fanfiction (yay!) and for the occasion, I will be organizing a challenge. You readers will answer a trivia question, and the first to PM me the correct answer will receive a one shot of their choice! There are a few rules, though:**

**NO PROFANITY. I only write as high as low Ts, even then only for violence maybe.**

**You will have to tell me what fandom/pairing/ characters/theme/etc. It will be. I'm not psychic!**

**Okay, so here's the question: On my blog (URL will be in profile SOMEWHERE), there is a picture near the title of Ariel. Who is the person portraying her?**

**That's it! Happy hunting!**

…**..**

(Dakota POV)

The city was plunged into chaos.

Thousands of panicked citizens surrounded me, pushing towards the gates and speaking in hushed tones. They were terrified. I couldn't blame them. However, I had a different goal then them. I tried to weave through the crowds, and to the emerald palace. The solid walls of people made the task difficult, and the jittery mood they all shared put them even more on edge. "Excuse me, sorry, thank you!" I repeated, sounding like a broken record while I pushed my way through. I earned a few dirty looks while I was at it, but I didn't care. Someone else was on my mind.

Eventually, I was able to reach the palace doors, and as I went through them, I saw dark hulking shapes flying around the top of the building. _Flying monkeys, sent by the Jester._ The thought made me shiver. I sped through the dark and empty hallways, making my way up through the palace. When I was near the top, I found the three I was looking for. Unfortunately, they were also being chased by monkeys. "Hey!" I shouted, running over to them. "Dakota! This way!" Lion yelled, grabbing my arm and dragging me through another hallway. "Why'd you come? It's dangerous!"

"I'm not leaving my friends to face flying monkeys!" A monkey attacked Tin Man, and he hit the animal with the blunt part of his axe, knocking it off. We reached the giant doors to the throne room, and slammed the door behind us, holding it back from the avalanche trying to get in. Scarecrow ran over to the giant organ like machine in the middle of the room, working the controls. The machine lit up, and the words KANSAS blinked across the monitor. "Dakota you need to go, they're not after you. Hide while you still can, we'll be alright."

I ran over to him. "I'm not leaving you in danger. What if you got caught? What if he-"

"Captures you?" He broke me off and grabbed my shoulders "Don't be stubborn, Dakota! If he hurt you I don't know what I'd do!" I looked at him for a moment. "Okay, but if anything happens to you, I'll find you. ALL of you, I promise."

"Okay. Now go, quickly!" I ran to the window, and climbed onto the ledge, stopping to take a look back before going outside. I hugged the wall and inched my way around, hoping to find a way down. I was paying so much attention to not falling I didn't notice when a flying monkey flew up to me. He must have thought I was suspicious looking, because he started chattering in my ear. "Fly off, will you? I'm busy at the moment!" He got louder, and grabbed my wrist, trying to tug me along. "Hey, stop it!" I whisper shouted. I pulled my arm free, but the action threw me off balance, and sent me tumbling over the ledge.

Luckily, before I hit the ground, a tree broke my fall. I tumbled through its branches, and landed on the ground below. It was my last memory before everything went black.

….

My eyes fluttered open to a confusing mashup of color. _Why is everything fuzzy? _I thought to myself. I sat up, but a dizzying pain coursed through my head, making me lie back down. _What the heck happened to me?_ Besides the injured head, I had bruises all over me, and my lungs hurt a bit, as if the wind was knocked out of it.

The world slowly came into focus, and everything came back to me.

_The evacuation…..flying monkeys…..then I fell…my friends….and…_

_Oh no._

In a flash, I ran all the way back to the throne room, afraid of what I might see. The giant doors hung ajar, and when I went into the room, it was ransacked. The only thing intact was the giant Rainbow Mover. The same window I went out of was ajar. I went over to it, and saw the lonely city stretched out in front of me. It made me feel lost, like a lonely toy left out in the rain.

They were gone. He was gone.

A buzzing sound brought me out of my thoughts. I turned around to see it came from the Rainbow Mover. The monitor was lit up like before, and the words TRANSFER SUCCEFUL. PERSONS KNOWN AS DOROTY GALE MOVED TO CANDY COUNTRY. _Dorothy Gale? _I knew how the Rainbow Mover worked, so Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow must have told her about the trouble in Oz, and will probably try to defeat the Jester._ She'd going to need help. I'll go and help her out, we're bound to meet up sometime anyways._

I went back to my apartment to gather supplies and get ready to travel. I changed into a navy blue tunic, black pants, and my old combat boots, and packed a brown satchel with food, bandages, a compass, a map, and a pocket knife if I need to use it. Finally, I walked to my bedside table, where Chip the teacup sat, and tucked him into my bag.

I returned back to the Rainbow Mover, where a giant button labeled GO TO flashed. With a sad sigh, I pushed the giant button and saw the colors surround me as I traveled to Candy Country.

When the rainbow disappeared, I saw a beautiful meadow in front of me. Just a little ways away was the Yellow Brick Road. I set out on it, unsure of what I'd find.

**Comments? Questions? **


	2. Chapter 2: Land of confusion

AAfter a few minutes, everything stopped moving, and Dakota opened her eyes. The rainbow unraveled its way back into the sky before disappearing. There wasn't any time for Dakota to look at where she'd landed before the fogginess she felt inside her head turn into a searing pain. Collapsing onto the ground, she buried her head in her hands. _Aargh, my head... it feels like its been split open! Oh Oz, oh Oz, oh Oz… _Second after agonizing second passed by, until the sharp pain faded into a dull ache. She sighed, and stood back up again, taking in the world around her.

Flowers dotted the open fields, and the sun shone high in the sky. _No questions asked, this is definitely Munchkinland!_ Dakota grinned, and started down the hill. In almost no time at all, The Yellow Brick Road stretched ahead, guiding her to an uncertain future.

**...**

"WHEN will those inferior little primates return!?" The Jester paced back and forth, twirling his sister's broomstick lazily above his head "My twisted sister may have been great at evil, but SHE SURE DIDN'T CHOSE GREAT HELP!" He said snarkily, yelling the last part to the ceiling. "Seriously, you'd think a person would learn..." His ear pricked at the sound of flapping wings, and the arguing coming from inside the sack.

"FINALLY! Took you _forever_ to get here. And with all the fun I've planned!"

_The_ sack opened, and Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow tumbled out. With a flourish, the Jester flicked his wand and robes snaked out to tie the threesome.

"Well well well, what have we here? _Guests._"

"You _always_ tie your company up?"

"As a matter of fact..." Using the scepter, the Jester made the curtains fall to the floor, revealing the now wooden leaders of Oz, minus Ozma herself. "_Yes!"_

The three gasped. "Are those... _real people?" _Lion stuttered.

_"_They used to be... but now they're better than real! As puppets they still act like real people..._ when I want them to. Nothing _gets in my way when I've waited too long to show up my witch of a sister!"

_**I would rejoice at the top of my voice**_

_**I'd be a true warlock, but I had no choice**_

Fog covered the floor, as an illusion of The Wicked Witch of the West appeared, trailed by a younger version of the Jester on a unicycle.

_**My sister was FRIGHTFUL,and spitefully made me a clown.**_

_**I'd found my own pleasure, that beautiful treasure,**_

_**so far beyond measure to me,**_

_**and my only reason to be**_

_**is to touch it, and hold it, and seal**_

_**it's power so sweet and so real**_

_**I shall possess my one abyss**_

_**that power I covet and who wouldn't love it, would you?**_

_**Now would you dare try me and would you deny me what's mine?**_

_**Now THAT'S a punch line!**_

Out of the floor, three torture traps rose up. One by one, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and Lion were thrown into their individual traps.

_**Guess you have guessed a jester must jest,**_

_**When I laugh alone, it's I who laughs best!**_

The Jester cackled. "I must leave you for a while, I'll be checking up on Dorothy, wouldn't want her to lose her way." He smirked, and flew up to the top tower. In the center of the room, a glowing crystal ball sat by the giant windows. He glided over to it, and banged on the glass. "Show me the girl!"

The green fog cleared, and showed Dorothy, Wiser, Toto, Marshall Mallow, and China Princess walking down the road. "That's it? She's better than I thought. You!"

He pointed to his head flying monkey, named Nikko. "Get your monkeys and go get her, while she has her defenses down!"

Nikko tried to talk to The Jester, but the joker just groaned. "We've been over this already! I DON'T. SPEAK. MONKEY!"

The primate sighed, and chattered a little bit more, plopping down at the end. "What do you mean, you're tired? Go and get her and her little dog Dodo and bring her to me! Do what you wish with the others, but I want her here, UNDERSTAND!?"

Nikko halfheartedly saluted, and flew out the window, calling a group of monkeys to fly. They took to the skies, and flew their way east.

**...**

Hours passed and the sun was low in the sky, yet Dakota still hadn't found any trace of Dorothy or Toto. _Dorothy is bound to be somewhere on this road, it is a familiar landmark after all. They did have a head start, so I won't be coming across them soon. I just got to keep moving, keep-_

A loud shout pierced the air, startling her from her thoughts. The sounds of a struggle came from the road lying beyond. Dakota rushed forward, and suddenly came upon the source of the noise. Flying monkeys were scattered throughout the fight, grabbing at Dorothy and trying to kidnap her. A giant owl, and a marshmallow soldier were fighting them off, and a petite china doll was doing her best to help, but couldn't do much, as she could easily get hurt.

Dakota didn't hesitate, took her bag from her shoulder, and charged into the fight. She swung the satchel into the monkeys, startling them enough so the others could land a more effective blow. She felt a bit bad hurting them, as she knew some of them when the Wicked Witch had ruled. They weren't evil, just acting under another person's orders._  
_

After a long time, the monkeys gave up, and Nikko signaled the monkeys to head back. A brief expression flashed across their faces (was it relief? ), and the primates flew off into the horizon.

Dakota watched them for a second before she turned back to the group around her. They all stared at her, their expressions happy, yet questioning.

"Hi?"

* * *

**I don't really know what to say. I feel terrible to keep you waiting for so long, but I have terrible times updating frequently, but there are only so many times you can apologize or have excuses. I'm trying a new thing where I write multiple chapters to have at the ready so I don't go on keeping you on the edge of your seats wanting more. I don't want to hear any hurtful PMs or reviews, so please keep your cool, and I' ll do what I can to break my bad writing habit.**


	3. Chapter 3: conceal, don't feel

"Hi! What' s your name?"

"Dakota. Yours?"

"That's such a pretty name! My name's Dorothy." _ Already knew, but you'd freak out if I said so,_ I thought."Is your surname Gale?" She nodded. "Cool! Everyone was wondering when you'd come back. Travel okay?" I looked toward the sky. "Aside from the flying monkeys, I mean."

"Hit a few bumps in the road, but we're fine."

"Easy for you to say," The China Princess smoothed down her hair "Those animals were so rough, I could have gotten a crack!"

"Oh, I almost forgot! Dakota, this is Wiser, Marshal Mallow, China Princess, and Toto." Toto nuzzled up against my ankle, and I reached down a moment to pet him. He was such a cute dog! "Wonderful to meet you all!" I replied.

"So what are you looking for?" Wiser asked.

"Hhm? Oh, looking for my friends." _Don't ask who_. _If I tell her, she'll never believe me. It's best this way. _

"They went missing?" Dorothy looked worried.

"I know where they are , but I just have to get there first."

"If you 'd like, we could help." I smiled. "Thank where are you headed?"

"The Emerald City. Hopefully I can find a message telling me what happened to _my_ friends."

"Then we're both going the same way, even better! We should cover some ground before nightfall, though."

"Yes, of course." Marshal Mallow piped up. "In a little while, we'll set up camp."

As the group forged on, I thought about our small conversation. _I wish I could tell her everything, but she may not believe me. After all, if a strange woman turned up out of the blue and claimed to know my friends, I would not believe her. Though it won't be easy keeping something like this a secret for long! Alright. If Dorothy asks, I won't hesitate. For now, though, I can't let them know._

**...**

"Someone ALWAYS helps that girl!" He banged his fist against the crystal ball, which showed one last image of the group before green smoke filled the sphere.

"Who does she think she is, anyways? Barging in and ruining my plans. Well, what's-her-face better watch out." Nikko flew in through the window before plopping down onto the floor, completely exhausted.

"And just what do you think you're doing?! You were supposed to get her and bring her back! The easiest thing in the world! Even after Miss Hero came in, you still could have flung her to the side."

Nikko slumped. It was hard to fight, couldn't The Jester see that? Maybe if he didn't have that staff, he'd be more considerate... but Nikko couldn't do that. He'd be grounded in a heartbeat.

"Come to think of it, who is this girl? And who are her so called 'friends'? I'll find out eventually, but priority check. I'll get back to them later, I'm going to go check up on our _guests_"

The Jester smirked, and left the room. Nikko lingered on the floor, his thoughts gearing towards his master's "mystery girl." He had known her, once upon another time. Like the Jester, the Witch had used him for a punching bag. A lot...

_The flying monkey sat in the dark and empty hallway, silently sniffling. He had just received a row from the Witch for stealing the jam sandwitch she was going to eat. He didn't know it was hers, how was he supposed to? It just wasn't fair._

_Suddenly he heard light footsteps coming his way. He jerked his head up, fear in his eyes. "It's alright, I 'm not going to hurt you."_

_ It was a soldier, but not the tough and scary soldiers come to lug him back to the other monkeys. The girl was small, with dark hair and skin and bright green eyes. She seemed nice, but he couldn't tell, because he had never seen her before._

_"Are you okay?" She asked. Nikko nodded, wiping away his tears. The girl sat down beside him and gave him a hug. "That's good. She must have given you a pretty bad scare though." He nodded again. He was starting to like this girl! "She scares everybody, though nobody ever says anything. I always do my best to hide myself, and it seems to work. But someday she'll be gone, and we can leave this place. You know what?"_

_"What?" He chattered._

_"The first place I'm going to go to is the Emerald City. I haven't heard much about it, but it sounds so wonderful anyways. Maybe I'll be a book keeper, and read during breaks."_

_"That does sound nice." _

_Nikko knew she didn't understand him, but something in her smile made it seem like she did. "Well, I'd better get going. If I stay longer, the others will get suspicious. Good bye."_

_She stood up and dusted herself off. "Oh, and by the way," she added "my name's Dakota." _

_Dakota turned around and melted into the shadows, leaving Nikko behind to think about the Exchange._

They may not have seen each other much over the passing years, but she had shown nothing but kindness whenever they met. The primate wasn't sure, but her reason for leaving the Winkie Army must have had something to do with two of the prisoners being kept downstairs. If it was true, they could all be in danger. He had to stay silent. Play dumb. It wasn't hard, no one except the other monkeys understood him. It's better that way anyways.

**...**

The doors burst open with a bang as The Jester strode into the room. "I hope you boys have found everything to you liking."

rolled, then tightly shut, his eyes. The jerking force of the torture wheel going back and forth had a dizzying effect, and closing his eyes was the only way to minimize the impact. The spinning momentum of the wheel , along with the emerald flames at the foot of the machine, made the contraption live up to it's name.

"Unfortunately, our little friend couldn't join us as soon as I'd hoped. But no matter, she'll find her way here either way."

"I'd like to see that smile on your face when Dorothy brings you to your knees!" Lion growled.

The Jester laughed "Oh, and I can't wait to see her try! Would you like to see her?" He waved his scepter, and the wheel slowly stopped. An image of Dorothy, Marshal Mallow, Wiser, China Princess, and another person sitting in a circle around a campfire appeared. almost gasped, prompting a curious look from The Jester. He quickly masked his expression and looked away. _Dakota's going with Dorothy? Doesn't she know she's going to endanger herself? _

The image disappeared, and The Jester vanished in a cloud of smoke, the torture wheel starting up again. This time, though, something else was on the straw man's mind other than trying to endure the wheel's effect.

_I thought I made it clear I didn't want her to get hurt! But if The Jester finds out about how important she is, who knows what he'll do. The only thing I can do now is keep it a secret. No matter what, I can't let him know, or Dakota will be hurt, or worse._

**Happy New Year everybody! So a lot of secrets are being kept now, and all have good intentions. But when will those secrets surface? I hope you like the inclusion of Nikko (he is named a lot of things, but in my theater's production of WoO it was Nikko), as he's a character who doesn't get much attention. (I kept thinking of my dad, as his favorite characters are the flying monkeys in the film) I love all the support that you guys give, because it reminds me how important this story is to the people. Stay tuned for more!**

**P.S.: Did you recognize the chapter titles in the story? The first one was a lyric reference to a Beatles song, the next one a pop song title, and this one a soundtrack song title. The chapters will have titles from songs, lyrics as a last resort, and you guys will have to guess who the artists were! (The first chapter will be the title and the artists) So PM or review me what your guesses are, and in the chapter after each I will tell you what the correct answer was, so start guessing!**


	4. Chapter 4: It was only just a dream

The Jester appeared in the tower, and set the scepter down. Nikki was curled up by the Crystal sphere, watching his master warily. "I'll have to say, THAT... could have been more entertaining." He strode over to a stand with a giant worn book on it. Licking his thumb, The Jester scanned the pages. "Let's see, what kind of curses are in here? The Fly-By-Night... Bat Bogey Hex... Jitterbug..." A purple and blue light exploded from the scepter, bursting into the sorcerer's line of vision.

"Ugh... Can this wait,please? I have better things to do than spy on that little farm brat! Don't I?" The crystal ball filled with green smoke seemingly in response.

"Apparently I don't." He sighed and snapped the book shut, going over to the giant sphere. It had shown him important scenes in Dorothy Gale's journey already, and whatever it was, it had better be good!

The green smoke cleared, and the campsite from before appeared.

**[At the campsite]**

The scene hadn't changed much from the image conjured in the scepter, except that now the campfire was nonexistent, with only the swirls of smoke twisting toward the sky remaining. Everyone was lying down, and everyone in the company except for Dorothy and Dakota fast asleep. The two were softly talking back and forth, gazing up at the starry sky.

"Dakota? If you don't mind me asking, what part of Oz do you live in?"

"The Emerald City, but I didn't always live there. I lived in Winkie Country." _I wonder... _Dakota thought. _I haven't heard from Lauren or the others since the Jester took over. Where are they now? Could they be with The Fannings? Maybe they are looking up at the sky now, too._

"I sort of figured."

"Huh?" Her mind snapped back reality, and she looked over to see Dorothy smiling at her. "Well, your height sort of gave you away. The people in Winkie country are a little bit taller than the people I've seen in Kansas and the rest of Oz. Also, the colors of the Winkie soldiers' uniforms were the same as what you're wearing."

_Oz, this girl is observant! Impressive_. "I still have my uniform! It was pretty comfortable, but it could be sorely hot wearing those during sunny days."

"Do you get sunny days there? When I went to the castle everything was grey,grey,grey."

"You're right on that one! Whatever sunny days we had, they were short and few."

Dorothy giggled, her laughter bringing a smile to the young woman's face. The two fell silent, both waiting for the other to say something.

"I know I asked a lot of questions before, but can I ask you one more thing?" Dorothy asked timidly.

"Of course you can, you're fine. Shoot"

"Well, it may seem a bit personal, but... why did you leave?"

Dakota stopped, not really sure what to say. She looked up at the stars, thinking for a moment. Finally, she turned and smiled. "It may seem silly, but... I fell in love with someone."

"Really?!" The girl's eyes widened, and an excited smile came onto her face. "What's he like? Does he live in the City too? I bet he does!"

"He does live in the City, but he had come to Winkie Country on business, and met me. He was my first friend outside of the castle."

**...**

The image blurred, and green smoke once more filled the crystal ball. The Jester didn't move.

" WHAT WAS THAT?! I was promised vital information! Not some girl talk between Farm Brat and Soldier Lady! For the love of Oz, is efficiency too much to ask?" He threw down the scepter and violently punched the glass, only to recoil in pain moments later.

"I might as well throw this old thing out anyways. I can't get it to work properly anymore! Never shows me the future, or enemies' weaknesses, or anything else important!"

The smoke exploded, as if the Crystal was arguing indignantly with its owner. Dakota's voice came out of it, repeating her last words:

"He was my first friend here."

"What's THAT supposed to mean anyways? I don't know who she's talking about,so I don't care!"

Nikko looked at him nervously. He had flown over to watch the scene, and now very ready to fly back.

"You know what? Fine. If there was any purpose to the thing you just showed me, then show me! No making it cryptic either, got it? It has to be crystal clear."

The smoke swirled for a moment, and then cleared out of the way, showing Dorothy's friends in their respective torture devices. "Them? But then that would mean-" he stopped short, his eyes wide.

_When I conjured the image in the scepter... Didn't that straw man gasp or something?_

He stood there frozen, still absorbing what he just witnessed. Slowly, his look of shock was replaced by a twisted smile, and he cackled crazily. Nikko tried flying away, but he couldn't move.

"Of COURSE, it all makes sense now! I almost can't believe it. The ex-king of Oz is in love with a human! Just think of the things I could wreck with THIS new tidbit of info. Nikko, you're dismissed. I want to brainstorm some good schemes."

He held out his arm, and the scepter went flying into it. With a loud thunk, he set the bottom of the shaft on the stone floor.

"I will have SO much fun with this."

**...**

**(Later that night)**

_She was running, that much was sure. But from what? She couldn't look back to see what it was, but she kept seeing shadows in the corner of her eye. The strange thing was, she never seemed to get tired. The run was faster than she was used to, zipping through trees like she was flying. The woods were unrecognizable, and there were barely any paths to guide her. The little there was of any landmark or trail that she saw was never seen again, almost as if the forest was changing. Why did she feel so light? It seemed like she was made up of light._

_As she was thinking of these questions, her instinct told her to stop. She slowed, and looked behind her. Curiously, the terrible thing was gone. Was there even a Terrible Thing in the first place? She continued walking, slowly taking in the quiet place around her._

_"Shhh." She whirled around, and came face to face with a... Person? She couldn't be sure. It was certainly like a person, with arms and legs and a torso, but it was all black. The person was thin, and a little shorter than her, with thin hands and fingers. The face bore no nose or mouth, just two light gray circles for eyes. "Who are you?" She asked it._

_"That doesn't matter. What does matter is this: You've been found out. He knows now, and if you're not careful you could lose everything you hold dear!"_

_"What are you talking about? This doesn't solve anything!" The scene around her started to blur, like someone had splashed water over a painting._

_"Go! Now! Before you are caught!" The thing disappeared. Suddenly, two arms grabbed her from behind, and a bolt of fear went through her..._

and Dakota woke up with a gasp, still reeling from her nightmare. She lay there, catching her breath, when she heard small crying coming from nearby. She sat up and looked towards the direction of the noise. Dorothy was curled up in a ball, her body shaking from quiet sobs.

" Dorothy?" Dakota whispered "are you okay?"

"Leave me alone please."

Quietly, Dakota crawled over to the girl, looking at her solemnly from behind. She just stayed that way, until her crying died down, being replaced by sniffling. She looked behind her and silently gasped, jumping a little from the surprise.

"Nightmare?" Dakota asked gently. Dorothy sniffed. "Yeah. "

"Do you want to talk about it? It's okay if you don't."

"No, I want to tell you. I was in a twister," she began "but I was on the ground. Inside the sides of the twister, I saw wreckage from my Aunt and Uncle's farm. It was swirling around, broken up, when my aunt and uncle appeared. They were calling my name, and I wanted to yell back but they didn't hear me. They disappeared, but all of my friends from Oz came. They were reaching for me, and asking me where I was, why did I never come back, things like that." She swallowed, holding back tears. " I have heard anything since the rainbow mover. What if something's happened to them?"

Dakota looked at her for a second, then leaned over to hug Dorothy. "I can't guarantee your friends' safety, but don't lose hope. Things will turn out alright."

"But how can you be sure?"

"I just believe that. Dorothy, don't worry. You're trying to shoulder so much weight on you, and that can be a bad thing. The people here, we're here to help you. Don't feel like you're alone."

She released Dorothy from the hug, and saw Dorothy smile at her. "Thank you so much for saying that. Everyone expects me to be this great witch slayer, when really all those were are accidents. Now that bigger things are at stake, I'm worried that I may lose. And all of Oz is depending on me!"

"I know. But don't think so far ahead. The universe has a funny way of making things work out okay."

"Really?"

"Really."

Dorothy reached up and hugged her again. "I'm glad you're here, Dakota. You're sort of like an older sister to me!"

Dakota smiled and returned the hug. She wished Dorothy good night and went back to where she was sleeping. After she heard Dorothy fall asleep, she rolled onto her back and looked at the sky.

_A sister? I'm glad she thinks of me that way! In a way, she is like a little sister to me. But what about that dream? Was someone trying to warn me?_

**this chapter was REALLY long! There was originally going to be a memory flashback when Dakita comforted Dorothy, but the story ended up switching gears. There was also going to be a song, but I don't think that there will be any new songs here. There may be just one more, but I'm not sure yet. **

**The title for the last chapter was an instrumental from the Frozen soundtrack ( congrats to a.c3388 for getting relativly right, he guessed 'Let it Go' which is technically correct.) This one's an old pop song, you will probably remember it from the radio a few years back. **

**Hint: "I was thinking 'bout you, thinking 'bout me, thinking bout us, what we gonna be."**


	5. Chapter 5: Work with me

**a.c3388: I'm really sorry! I never saw your profile (I always see people's profiles before addressing them or problems arise.), so I didn't know if you were a boy or a girl. This is why I wish there was a gender-neutral pronoun besides "it" (which isn't a good way to refer to a person.) I'm also sorry that this came months after, and that you had to wait until I got another chapter up. Do you allow Private Messaging? **

**Story note: This chapter is most definitely a filler chapter. I also will not be able to match the dialogue from the movie to a T with this chapter and the next one, and I'm pretty sure that if I keep re-watching this movie around my family, my ****brother will go crazy (he always sits and watches with me, no matter what the movie is. This is also how I got him to hate The Wizard of Oz.) There will also be NO guessing where I got the title from, since you all know this song. Pretty original, huh? And based on your reviews, I was wondering where all the hype was when The Jester finally put all the puzzle pieces together. Bueller... Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own ****this movie.**

**...**

A new day came, and soon enough everyone was traveling down the yellow brick road. After a good night's rest, everyone was happy and content. All except for one, that is. Being too small to keep up with the others, she had to travel in Dorothy's bag. Needless to say, she was _not _happy.

"Stop bouncing, you'll scuff my finish!"

"I was just walking." Dorothy said calmly.

"You're _bouncing! _ This is very uncomfortable!"

"I hope you're not going to be like this for the whole trip."

"_I am a princess! _Remember?" Toto jumped up and licked China Princess, making her groan in disgust, and Dakota tried hard not to smile. Ever since morning, the Princess had not been the most pleasant in the world.

The trees started to grow scarce, and the yellow brick road abruptly stopped at a giant fast moving river. The road continued on the other side, showing that at some point the bridge had broken and washed away.

"This is it, we've found the Munchkinland River." Dakota declared.

"What will we do now?"

"Make camp and...wait for orders?" Marshal Mallow said uncertainly. It wasn't the best decision, but it was the only sure solution.

"We could build a boat."

"And what, pray tell, will we- rather _you-_make the boat out of? The owl?" China Princess demanded, motioning to Wiser."Uh, no." He replied.

"We'll figure it out. How hard can it be? There are trees everywhere." Dorothy walked over to a tree and broke of its branch.

"OUCH! Hey!" The tree yelped, and took on a human face. He snatched back the branch and tried to reattach it,moaning. The other trees also woke up, and glared at Dorothy. "Who do you think you are?!" One of the trees asked.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Broke off a branch! Would you like it if I came up and tore your arm off?"

"I'm really sorry! We need to get to Emerald City, and to do it we need wood. To...build a boat."

"A boat?" The trees repeated, their glares becoming sharper. "You've got a lot of nerve!"

"Hey, I know her, she's the one that stole the apples off of Uncle Manny!"

"Get her!" The trees all picked off their apples, hurling them at the group. Everyone took off running, still being pelted by apples and anything else the trees could find. They ran a little further down until the trees could no longer hit them. "At least we're out of range." Marshal Mallow said breathily. Just then an apple soared out of nowhere and hit Wiser on the head.

"Take me." A creaky old voice said. The group looked in the direction of the voice and saw a twisted old tree smiling at them. "Take _me. _I would like to volunteer these old timbers for your boat."

Dorothy shook her head. "Oh, no, we could never hurt a tree, at least not on purpose."

"I'm 900 years old, and honestly I don't have many rings left. I can stay here and rot, taking up someone else's sun, or I can come with you and be apart of something important! Something great."

"I have nothing to say, except... Thank you. This is a grave sacrifice you're making."

"No sap off my brow." He wiped his forgets for emphasis, and pulled his roots out of the ground. They left the forest grove and went to the riverbank, and Wiser started drawing a plan in the sand. Marshal Mallow pitched a little awning for China Princess, and then went back to help with the boat.

_**(Dorothy)**_

_**Gonna get things rolling, I know I can**_

_**Gonna get things going, cause I got a plan**_

_**Put it all together, 'till the job is done**_

_**This should be easy, it should be fun!**_

_**Work with me**_

After a little while, the main part of the boat was done, and they were just getting started on the mainmast when a mini cairrage came down the yellow brick road. It was carrying the Queen of the Fieldmice, but even without the queen they had no way of crossing. The Queen looked over and saw the boat, and smiled. This was their way to cross! The Queen went over with her company and volunteered their services.

_**Can't get across, it's sink or swim**_

_**I'll build a boat, It's the next best thing.**_

_**(China Princess and Queen)**_

_**We're better, together, all for one!**_

_**With a little help, we'll get things done**_

**_Work with me_**

**_(Everyone)_**

**_Work with me, I will work with you_**

**_maybe we can see just what we can do_**

**_It's true, it's true, it's true, it's true, it's true!_**

**_Work with me I'll work with you._**

A group of beavers came coasting down the river, come to fix the bridge. They saw the boat, and looked at one another. They had time, so why not help the people?

_**(Wiser)**_

_**Gonna get across in a little time**_

_**You give me yours**_

_**(Beaver)**_

_**I'll give you mine!**_

_**(Both)**_

_**Heads together, 'till the end**_

_**All I'll need is some help from friends**_

_**(Everyone) **_

_**Work with me!**_

_**Work with me, I will work with you **_

_**maybe, we will se just what we can do.**_

_**(Beavers)**_

_**It's true, It's true, It's true, It's true, It's true**_

_**(Everyone)**_

_**Work with me, I'll work with you.**_

The boat was finished, and was soon launched in the water. "There, all finished. Let's call him... Tugg!" Dorothy exclaimed. Tuff chuckled "I like it!"

_**(Everyone)**_

_**Work with me, I will work with you**_

_**maybe we will see what we can do**_

_**It's true, it's true, it's true, it's true, it's true!**_

_**Work with me, I'll work with you.**_

The fieldmice got to the other side of the river, and the Beavers returned to work on the bridge as Tugg coasted down the river. It was evening now, because of the work taking all day, so the company would not reach Emerald City until morning. As the sun set, Dakota sat down at the bow of the ship, lost in thought. They had made good progress, but the sooner that Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow were rescued,the better.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Tugg asked, jerking her back to reality. "Nothing, really. Why do you ask?"

"You look troubled, my dear. I thought I would be able to help."

"Even if you could help, I don't know if I could be able to tell you in the first place."

"Well, why not?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

Tugg thought for a moment. "My dear, I have lived for 900 years, and for a tree who has stayed in one place for life, I have seen and heard so much. I will not press any further, but do not worry about me not believing what you have to say."

Dakota looked down at him, took a deep breath, and quietly told him the whole story. He didn't speak, only listened for the entire time. When she had finished, Dakota anxiously waited for his verdict. "That's quite a story." He answered "but I do understand your problem. The truth is sometimes very hard to believe, but it always has a way of coming out. If you don't tell them the truth soon, it may come from another person's mouth, and that's even worse. I can't say how Dorothy will react, but in the end, trust your feelings. I may not have known you all long, but your friends will understand."

Dakota sighed with relief. "I think that's exactly what I needed to hear. I'll follow your advice, but until then you can't tell anyone. Like you said, the truth needs to come from you so much."

"You're welcome."

...

**P.S. Happy Mother's Day everyone! Give a big hug to any mother figure in your life. (Though not right now, they're probably asleep.)**


	6. Chapter 6: Darkness On The Edge Of Town

**(Narrator's POV)**

As night fell, everyone went to sleep with high hopes for the next day. In the morning, though, that happy feeling diminished as the crew saw the Emerald City for the first time. Instead of being alight and glowing like the last time Dorothy saw it, it was dull and quiet, with the fog and the cloudy sky adding to the foreboding feeling. She almost couldn't believe it.

"What happened here?" China Princess said.

"This place used to be so beautiful." Dorothy responded. "It's almost unbelievable."

Dakota sadly agreed with her. "Once everybody left, there wasn't much of the city to come back to,I guess."

They all left Tugg at the docks, and entered the empty city. Inside the city, it was pretty much the same, but less fog (Dakota assumed this, her vision was still sort of fuzzy.) "It's totally abandoned." Mallow said with disbelief.

Eventually, they reached the throne room, the Rainbow Mover towering over the group. The place was just how Dakota remembered it, the entire place strewn with wreckage.

"What a mess!" China Princess exclaimed.

"General?"

"Scarecrow!"

"General Candy Apple?"

No one responded. "Maybe they've all gone to lunch." Wiser said meekly "The courteous thing to do would be to come back later. Much later..."

Dorothy went over to a shattered case, stepping gingerly around the shards of glass. "This is where the broomstick should be! No wonder things are going wrong..."

"Look, it's a prismatic tubular transportation device!" Everyone looked at him blankly.

"Huh?"

"In simpler terms," Wiser explained "it's a rainbow mover."

"This is the machine that brought me here."

"Actually, the machine _created_ the rainbow. The rainbow brought you here. It's sort of a chicken in the egg thing-"

"Shh!" Mallow elbowed him, throwing him a look. Dorothy had put her hand on the plaque labeled _Kansas, _and it was obvious that she was having a moment. Suddenly, a blinking button caught her attention. "Look, it's for you!" Wiser said, noting the words _for Dorothy _on the button. "What are the odds of that, sixty four to two-"

She pressed the button, and an explosion of orange came out of the pipes, and in the circle below the button, the burlap face of the Scarecrow appeared.

"Dorothy, we don't have much time! There's trouble in Oz and only you can help! An evil jester has a magic scepter in his castle-"

The image fizzled out and purple fog burst out of nowhere, the jester's face cackling menacingly. "Well, well, well! If it isn't the famous Dorothy Gale?" Marshal drew out his sword, trembling. "You stay away from her!" He commanded, with the courage he could muster.

"I'm not talking to you, Puffball!"

"I, the Princess of-"

"SILENCE!" China Princess was shocked. No one had_ ever _spoken to her that way! Still, she stopped talking.

Her brow furrowed with anger, she defiantly stepped up to face him. In a strong voice, she asked "What have you don't with my friends?"

"Your friends, what a coincidence! Why I've got them right here. See?" The face moved to the side, and the Scarecrow King's image appeared in the smoke.

**(Dakota POV)**

She couldn't breathe.

He was strapped to a giant wheel, spinning him relentlessly while green flames surrounded the contraption. _He knew Scarecrow was afraid of fire, and was using his, Tin Man's and Lion's fears as methods of torture. That's just sick!_

It _horrified _her, and it showed on her face. Dakota saw The Jester smirk as he went on, and she realized he knew. He wasn't just targeting Dorothy, he was messing with her too.

"Let them go!" Dorothy yelled.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll hop into your little rainbow mover and go back to Kansas!"

"No."

"Either do as I say, or DIE!"

Smoke rushed at them, and suddenly Flying Monkeys lunged out at them.

"Grab her!" Dakota said frantically, and Mallow snatched up Dorothy as they made a mad dash for the door.

...

**(Narrator)**

"Why don't you sing me a song, eh?" Tugg said serenely to a bird perched on his nose. It fluttered away and the former tree caught sight of his friends running toward him.

"Tugg, let's move it!"

"What's all the fuss?" He asked, as they clomped up the gangplank.

"FLYING *gasp* MONKEYS!" Wiser choked out. "_Flying Monkeys_?" It was almost silly, if not for the already strange things in Oz.

"Take cover!" Marshall Mallow said, hanging the bag with China Princess to Wiser, who in turn put her beside one of the nearby masts. Dorothy, Dakota, and Mallow fought off the monkeys, but couldn't stop them from shadowing them as Tugg moved out of the harbor.

"Tugg!" China Princess yelled "stay to the right! Head for that cave!"

They coasted into the cave, and watched tentatively to see if the monkeys would follow them. Strangely, they left them alone, and flapped away, defeated.

...

The Jester watched the scene in the crystal ball, simmering from anger. "You cowards! You're letting her get away!"

His words echoed throughout the castle, and back to the ears of the Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow. Silently, they were relived, for as long as the Jester's angry voice bellowed through the halls, they knew Dorothy and her friends were safe.

"Ugh, why do I have to do everything myself?!"

...

"Why aren't they following us?"

"They must be afraid of the dark!" Wiser exclaimed "Ha! Nyctophobia! They think they're so tough. They must sleep with a nightlight! Silly...scary..." The cave grew darker, and Wiser's voice trailed off uneasily.

"I can't see a thing." Dorothy stated calmly.

"ME NEITHER! I'M TERRIFIED!"

"You're nocturnal! Get a grip!"

Suddenly, a light appeared in front of the boat, it swiftly flew forward and up, dispersing into a million fireflies. "Fireflies!"

"I haven't seen you guys in ages!" Tugg exclaimed "where've you been?" The fireflies apparently didn't answer, just flew around the boat creating patterns in the darkness. Some flew up to the top of the mast, where Wiser was clinging to the beams, and formed lanterns on either side of him. "That's the prettiest thing I've ever seen."

Marshal Mallow carefully set China Princess down and turned away to steer the ship. China Princess gazed at the fireflies happily. "How romantic!" She patted the wood beside her, and Mallow looked back, and left is post, sitting beside the delicate princess. Dakota looked at the scene nearby and smiled. It was impossible to deny the two were cute together. "Where are we headed?" The fireflies formed a compass, with the arrow pointing northwest. "By that compass, we are headed northwest. If we follow that tributary we will reach the Jester's castle."

Mallow began to formulate a plan. "Under the cover of darkness, we can belly crawl past the guards-"

"Then we can sneak in and free my friends!" Dorothy interrupted.

"With their help, we can free the land of Oz from The Jester's rule!" Dakota joined in.

"Yay! We have a plan!" China Princess grabbed Mallow's arm, causing him to blush. Out of the darkness, a fork in the cave appeared. The fireflies formed an arrow,going back and forth from one way to another. "Which way should we go?" Tugg asked. The arrow wavered indecisively, then pointed right. "Well, let's follow the fireflies! They seem to know what to do."

"Thank you fireflies!"Dorothy called out. Instantly, they turned purple and formed the face of the Jester. "It's the least I could do. See you next fall!" Tugg sped on ahead, unable to slow down or stop. The cave opened up into the air, and ahead the river became a deadly waterfall. "It's a trap! Tugg, turn back!"

"I can't! The current is too strong!" They threw the rock anchors over, but to no avail. The current slowly dragged them closer and closer to the edge of the waterfall. "Everyone, hold on tight!"

Tugg tipped, and the boat and its travelers went screaming over the falls.

...

"Goodbye, Dorothy gale, Goodbye." The Jester mock sobbed, as the light from the scepter grew dim. "Say goodbye to Dorothy Gale everyone" He jabbed his scepter in the horrified face of the Scarecrow. "Let that be a lesson to you all. "DON'T. MESS. WITH THE JESTER!"

He spun the giant wheel, and the world blurred once more.

"_What have you done_?" Scarecrow managed to choke out.

**Title guessing has resumed, hopefully things will go better this time! **


End file.
